I was in Asheville last week and picked up a copy of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. There is a very anti-timber cutting article. This article needs a rebuttal or at least a well written letter to the editor. I’d do it myself, but I don’t live in the region and haven’t got enough info about the region to lay down some facts. I’ve forwarded the article to the regiona RGS biologist, Linda Ordiway, but others may want to take action to. Go get ‘em.

https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/magazine/june-2019/the-big-cut/amp/

A sad attitude considering the forestry heritage in that area of NC....doubly sad when what many folks view as old growth is actually on a second or third cutting.
Lot of forest ignorance out and about.

Rarely do NFs today cut even 1% of the agreed to harvest allowable...that is mostly due to obstructionists sicing the SELC, et al on the case to file lawsuits.
That failure to reach the allowable has been ongoing for decades and the forest health has suffered...and so do the early successional species within the forest, like the golden-winged warbler.

Old growth certainly deserves a place alongside sawlog and early successional.....that resulting diversity in age class is essential to forest health for itself, for ALL the critters that live there and for we humans who should recognize a truly healthy forest and value the diversity within the borders.

I witnessed a retired NF employee at the ACGRP presentation 15 years or so ago who was spitting mad and near tears at the frustration he felt in being unable to do the job with which he was tasked.
Until the Public awakes to reality rather than blindly accepting bad information, I suspect not much will change for those who followed that fella....nor will the trend in forest health begin to turn around and take a positive slope upward.

Expecting the RGS to do anything is optimistic...granted they have changed a bit in the last few years but they and other groups dropped the ball in influencing better NF management a looong time ago.

At a minimum they (Linda) will craft a rebuttal to the junk already published.

And remember, the RGS of a long time ago, and the RGS of today is a lot different, and a new regime. There are a lot more ways to make an impact. Some of which has made a diffence right here in Massachusetts.

(Linda) won't hurt, I agree.

The best RGS regime, imho, was what the past fella from NY brought to the game. Met him at a Wingbee once....he thought out of the box and RGS always loved to stay deep in a box.
The Mead/WV grouse permit on leased lands was, I believe, under his tenure...poorly conceived as to details but I credit RGS for stepping out of that box.

Regardless, the NF need is clear.....I hope whomever takes the effort to respond makes a positive impact to offset the anti-environment obstructionists.

Gentlemen,

Not harvesting timber at the proper time effects all wild life, especially Grouse. I do hope somebody rebuts the article. Unfortunately this is the sign of the times. Nut cases who do not understand forest management are very dangerous people to the wild life of the forests.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

If anyone knows about Appalachian grouse it is Ben Jones, the new RGS CEO. He as the UT grad student who ran the ACGRP project site in Franklin, NC. Hopefully he will find a way to make a difference.

Bill,

Ben Jones will be a fine CEO of our RGS/AWS organization, the kind of man who deserves the position for sure.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man